Daisy Chain
by KarmaComesBackAround
Summary: After a tough case gets to JJ, she's not sure how much more she can take. Emily reminds her how special she is to the team.


**A/N: This is my entry for the Chit Chat on Author's Corner 2013 April Challenge: Everything's Coming Up – Flowers Challenge. It's also my first published Criminal Minds fic. I'm sorry if they went OOC or if my writing's terrible, but bear with me – I'm not exactly experienced! So, yeah, enjoy and I'd love to hear from you!**

_**Chosen Character: Emily Prentiss**_

_**Randomly Assigned Character: Jennifer Jareau**_

_**Chosen Flower: Daisies**_

**Daisy Chain**

It had been a tough one. They all knew that. Cases involving children were always the worst, especially for Hotch and JJ who had kids of their own. This time, the unsub was abducting children all under the age of eight from parks and holding them for a week, doing unmentionable things to them during that time, before dumping them in alleys like pieces of trash. The worst thing was that they were better off dead than alive, after the trauma he put them through. That didn't make it any easier, though, as they saw David Chubbs shoot his last victim, seven year old Jamie Jennison, right in front of them. Jamie died instantly. There was nothing anyone could do to save him.

Chubbs' motive for murdering five innocent young boys? He liked seeing them suffer. He enjoyed the cries and whimpers of pain as he assaulted them, over and over again. He got off on slowly seeing the light leaving their eyes as they begged for mercy; begged for death. Chubbs took great pleasure in describing the acts of pitiless violence to Emily and JJ, who'd drawn the metaphorical short straw and had been nominated to interrogate him. He left out no detail of how he tortured his victims, and spent little over two hours going from his first victim, Callum Wilson, to his last, Jamie Jennison. Both Emily and JJ had kept calm exteriors during his explanations, trying with all their might to block out the horrible mental pictures Chubbs was putting in their heads.

I wasn't until they got out of the tiny room that they allowed their emotions to show, both emptying the contents of their stomachs the moment they closed the door.

But the case was over, the manila folders closed; reports written; the last i dotted and the last t crossed. The team were on the jet, finally flying home after staying in a hotel for close to two weeks. The mood was sombre, everyone trying to distract their minds from the horrors of the case with mindless chatter and games of cards, but failing abysmally.

The images of the case would haunt their dreams for a while.

Until the next horrible case came along.

Emily could tell something was up with JJ. Even if she wasn't a profiler, she knew her friend so well that she could tell if even the smallest thing was bothering her. JJ was sat at the back of the plane, just staring out of the window. She hadn't moved in close to ten minutes; Emily was watching her. Unable to stand much more, Emily made her way over to where her best friend sat.

"Hey," she said quietly, placing a gentle hand on JJ's shoulder. Breaking out of her reverie, JJ jumped, but relaxed when she saw it was Emily.

"Hey," she replied, plastering on a smile. It was obviously fake, and Emily could see that. She decided to skip past the 'Are you okay?' and jump straight into the, "What's up?"

"Why? Why would he do that? Kill those little boys? What did they do to deserve it?" JJ exclaimed angrily. Emily placed a hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

"I don't know," Emily said softly. "I honestly don't know. Some people don't have reasons. Some are mentally ill, some see it as a way of coping with a loss and some people are sick creatures who enjoy it. Chubbs doesn't deserve air, but he'll never hurt anyone again. We did good."

JJ sighed. "I know. We beat him. But it's just hard to see it all. We see death every day and it's horrible. I'm not sure how much more I can take." Her voice cracked at the end and her eyes were shining with tears as she laid her head on Emily's shoulder.

"Hey," Emily said, prompting JJ to look at her. "You are such a good person. You're so much more than any of these monsters will ever be. Never forget that. You will never be anything like them."

"Can you promise that?" JJ asked timidly.

"Yes." The definite reply of her best friend made JJ smile weakly.

"But what if it all gets too much? What if I snap?" It was a thought always at the back of JJ's mind. Her biggest fear. Becoming like _them_.

"Come to me. But that will never happen, JJ. You're way too strong for that. Trust me," Emily said. She knew that the job affected everyone, but it still scared her a little to see JJ, strong confident JJ, doubt herself.

"I'm not strong. I'm not sure how long I can do this job for without breaking," JJ whispered. She didn't like appearing weak in front of Emily, but she couldn't hide it. Not right now.

"This is gonna' sound strange, but when you were a kid did you ever make daisy chains?" Emily asked.

JJ frowned. It was a bit of a strange question. "Yes," she said slowly, looking at Emily curiously. "Why?"

"Did you ever put the hole in too big? Cut the daisy in half?"

JJ had an idea of where Emily was going with this. "Yes. The whole chain fell apart," she said.

"Well we're like the daisies," Emily explained. "Together, the chain is strong and beautiful. But if one daisy breaks, the whole chain does."

"So you're saying if I can't cope, everyone else will break down. Great pep talk, Em," JJ said sarcastically.

"No!" Emily laughed. "I'm saying that the daisies support each other in the chain and hold the chain together. You won't break because you have us. Me."

JJ looked around the plane and realised Emily was right. Each team member had their own problems; a hole in the stalk of the daisy. But they held each other together. They were strong as a team.

"Thanks," JJ whispered to Emily.

"Don't mention it."

-Finis-


End file.
